A microreactor or a micromixer has been provided as a fluid processing apparatus using a fine flow path or a fine reaction container. There is possibility that the microscopic reaction field given by such an apparatus could exert a substantial influence on chemical reactions carried out in beakers and flasks so far (see Non-Patent Document 1).
However, in a microreactor generally provided, a separated solid or a gaseous material produced by a reaction clogs a flow path depending on the reaction; and thus, the apparatus causes many problems such as blocking of the flow path finally, requiring a large pump because of a large pressure loss, and difficulty in up-scaling.
A fluid processing apparatus and a processing method, with which processing such as mixing, reaction, and separation is effected between processing surfaces of processing members capable of approaching to and separating from each other, at least one of which rotates relative to the other as described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 filed by the applicant of the present invention, realized to form a minute reaction field easily; and in addition, the problems of the microreactor as mentioned above could be solved.
However, even in the fluid processing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2, there were the cases that a flow path having an opening leading to between the processing surfaces in the processing member was difficult to be cleaned when a solid material clogs the flow path and that the flow path having an opening was not easy to be worked, whereby parts of the processing member became expensive. In addition, in an up-scaling study of the apparatus, it is necessary to make a large processing member; in this case, if an entirety of the processing member, which is a disk having a ring form, is made as one bulk by using a method represented by a sintering method involving a high temperature treatment, production cost thereof increases with increase of the disk diameter because a molding equipment or a sintering equipment with a large size becomes necessary, whereby sometimes parts of the processing member become expensive.
In addition, for example, when a first fluid and a second fluid are intended to be mixed between the processing surfaces with its mixing ratio of 1:1, the processing surface provided with an opening having a circular ring form is desirable; but a processing member having the processing surface provided with an opening having a circular ring form has been difficult to be worked and formed.